Chinese leadership confirm disgraced Bo's expulsion

Disgraced Chinese politician Bo Xilai has been formally expelled from the ruling Communist party after a meeting of top party officials.

The decision, which clears the way for Bo to face criminal trial, came at a gathering of 500 top party officials that wrapped up in Beijing.

The ten-yearly power handover, scheduled for a party Congress that opens Thursday, had been dogged by the Bo scandal.

The party's Central Committee "endorsed a decision by the Political Bureau... to expel Bo Xilai", Xinhua news agency said, referring to the party's top decision-making body.

Xinhua added that the Political Bureau decision was taken on September 28.

The months-long controversy surrounding Bo had exposed deep divisions in the top leadership ahead of the sensitive power transition.

The former party boss in the central mega-city of Chongqing was once seen as a candidate for promotion to the party's top echelons but was brought down earlier this year by murder allegations against his wife that came to light after his police chief sought refuge in a US consulate.

Gu Kalai was later given a suspended death sentence - a judgment commonly commuted to a life sentence - for fatally poisoning British businessman Neil Heywood.

Xinhua said previously that Bo had "borne major responsibility" in connection with the murder of Heywood and would "face justice" for alleged abuse of power, taking "massive" bribes and having inappropriate sexual relations.

State media said in September that Bo would "face justice" for alleged crimes.

In October he was expelled from the country's parliament and stripped of his legal immunity.

The central committee during its four-day meeting also agreed to expel former Railways Minister Liu Zhijun, who was sacked last year for allegedly taking more than 800 million yuan ($128 million) in bribes and now awaits trial.

Party reform

Separately, it named two central committee members, Fan Changlong and Xu Qiliang, as vice chairmen of the Central Military Commission, following a series of military leadership reshuffles in recent weeks.

The committee also approved a draft amendment to the party constitution, Xinhua reported without giving details.

Analysts have said that the Bo affair revealed rifts within the party as he has influential patrons and a wide following among left-leaning members.

Authorities had hoped for a smooth build-up to a Congress that is tightly scripted to underline the party's claim to be the only legitimate force capable of ruling the world's most populous nation.

The congress typically lasts one week and ends with the unveiling of a new Politburo Standing Committee, China's highest decision-making body, when vice president Xi Jinping is expected to take the top post of general secretary.